


You Make It Feel Like Christmas

by Papallion



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21911404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Papallion/pseuds/Papallion
Summary: A gentle day and a Christmas Party with friends.
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22
Collections: Reaper76 Free For All Secret Santa 2019





	You Make It Feel Like Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyKarasuNM](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKarasuNM/gifts).



The cafe was warm and gently lit, and the old man leaned on his table, nursing his Americano. He tugged his black beanie down a little lower, covering his ears again. Anyone watching would he assume he was just a cold old man feeling the weather.

The barista greeted the next customer, and the old man looked up.

The newcomer made an order, gestured to the old man, and paid. He walked over and pulled out a chair.

“You’re late,” the old man grumbled.

“Sorry, icy roads and all.” The other man pulled his coat off and draped it across the chair. He sat down. “How are you, sunshine?”

Jack smiled softly. “Fine, fine. You?”

“We used to be much better at conversation,” Gabriel said. “Did you get dressed in the dryer? You look like crap. I leave you for a week of recon and suddenly you’ve gone all feral on me again.”

Jack waved him off. “Naw, just slept there. Now you? You look good.” Jack was dressed in an ancient pair of jeans, flannel and black motorcycle jacket.

Gabriel, by comparison, was wearing a dark great coat and stylish hat. “That’s my beanie,” he said suddenly, and held out his hand.

“Trade you,” Jack said, and after a moment, Gabriel took off his trilby. Jack handed over the beanie and hauled the trilby on. “How do I look?”

“Like you got dressed in the drier and stole a better-dressed man’s hat.” Gabriel thanked the waitress as she brought over a tray of food. “Thought you might be hungry.” He shoved a bowl of soup and a sandwich towards Jack, and another cup of tea.

“Still looking after me.” Jack eagerly took the soup.

“Well, you won’t, so I have to pick up the slack.” He took a long drink of coffee. “You feral bastard.”

They ate quietly, just enjoying each other’s company. After they were done they stood, left a sizable tip, and made their way outside.

Toronto was still busy, even this late at night, and they quickly got themselves lost in a crowd. As they wandered through the city the crowds shoved them closer together, and their elbows bumped. After a few moments their hands found each other.

Their fingers laced together, and Jack suddenly pulled Gabriel close.

“I missed you,” Jack said quietly. It had only been a few days, but after so long apart, a few days was more than long enough.

“Of course you did,” Gabriel said just as softly. “And I missed you, too. Hey, cocoa.” He tugged Jack to the side. “No, better, hot chocolate!” He tugged harder, and Jack almost had to jog to keep up. While Gabriel ordered his drink, Jack wandered to another vendor.

Jack knew the difference between cocoa and hot chocolate thanks to Gabriel’s sweet tooth. Hot cocoa was made from a powder, but hot chocolate started with melted chocolate.

After a minute they found each other, and Jack help up a bowl of sopapillas, or at least the local equivalent. They found a quiet bench and took a seat.

“This is nice,” Jack said quietly, and accepted his hot chocolate. He held out the bowl, and Gabriel used a toothpick to scoop up a sopapilla. “One day we should get a little house far away from everything. A garden. Some bikes. A cat. I want a cat.”

They settled, shoulders pressed together, heads tilted towards each other. They watched the crowd move forward and back, occasionally commenting on someone’s hat or jacket.

“We don’t have to stop fighting Talon,” Jack said quietly. “We’ll make new IDs, new lives. You can use that old plague doctor mask you made. It’s still in the Newark safe house. We’ll get you a new coat, one with feathers. It will be  _ dramatic _ .” 

Gabriel grinned at the hand gesture for the word ‘dramatic’. “And you? You could be Captain 76. Rank up.”

“Naw. Codename: Venom. Green jacket, maybe a helmet, new bike. With a sidecar.”

“I am not riding in a sidecar!” Gabriel laughed. “So, a raven and a snake. Hm.”

“No one would ever notice the leather-clad edge lord with the mask and the motorcycle jacket wearing guy with the massive gun were the same as the leather-clad edge lord with the mask and the motorcycle jacket wearing guy with the massive gun. The plan is foolproof.” Jack nodded. “It’s perfect.”

“Goofball,” Gabriel said quietly into Jack’s hair as he hauled him closer to a kiss. 

Jack chuckled and leaned into Gabriel, slouching against his side. “Despite the cold, you know, I’m having a nice night.” He slid an arm around Gabriel’s waist.

“Yeah, me too, mi alma.” 

They sat and watched the crowd for a bit more, then returned to the hotel suite.

Gabriel woke up to the smell of breakfast. He quickly showered and dressed and made his way to the little kitchen. It was just a small stove top and a tiny fridge under the sink, but both were good at making do in tiny kitchens.

Jack was dropping a pancake onto the stack, and he turned back to flip some bacon.

“You never did learn how to cook for just two people,” Gabriel grinned and poured himself some coffee. 

“Hey, I’m the youngest of eight, I have NEVER known how to cook for two people,” Jack countered.

Gabriel took a drink and examined the growing stack of pancakes. “You been up long?”

“About an hour. And we’ve both got big appetites. Sit, I’m almost done.” He cracked some eggs into the skillet and seasoned them. 

Gabriel watched Jack, just enjoying his presence for the time being. It was so nice to have some quiet time with the chaos of their everyday lives. He set the little table and poured Jack some coffee.

At some point, Jack pulled out a few decorations, and Gabriel suddenly recognized one. The tree was made from hand prints cut from construction paper, fingers down, glued to the foam board in a pine-tree shape. Paper ornaments were pinned in place, and an origami star from tinfoil, a little dusty from storage but still bright, pinned to the top.

Gabrield stood and carefully pulled up a few hands, noting the names behind them. McCree, Angela, D’Angelo, Liao, Maya, Pierce, Lena, kanji he knew to be Genji, and his and Jacks’, among others. Fareeha’s hands had been so small, once upon a time. Reinhardt’s massive hand sat at the bottom, and Gabriel grinned at the memories. Not everyone was still with them, so the memories it brought up were bittersweet. “I didn’t know this thing still existed!”

“Hey, come eat,” Jack said quietly, and Gabriel sat down. “I dug that out to take back to base, as a decoration. The party’s tonight. What do you want to do until then?”

“We need to make cookies,” Gabriel said with suddenly bright eyes. “You know everyone is going to want Abulita Lucia’s Christmas cookies! And those Hershey Kiss ones you make. Lena never gets enough of those. And one of those cookie gun things.”

“A cookie press could be fun, haven’t used one in a while.” Jack served himself some more bacon. “Will everyone be there?”

“Yep, did you know McCree and Shimada were getting close?” Gabriel asked and buttered each pancake as he pulled them onto his plate.

The two gossiped lightly until they were done, collected what remained of the leftovers, and prepared to go shopping.

  
  


“There they are!” Winston said brightly as Gabriel and Jack came through the foyer. The new Overwatch office was bright and cheerful, full of lights and noise and people.

“Is that the old hand tree?” Lena asked in sudden amazement as Jack pulled it out from under his arm. “Oh, I haven’t seen this in ages! Angie, Angie, come see, the old hand tree! Look at how small Reeha’s hands were!”

He let Lena take it and zip off, and he let Winston pull him into a massive one-armed hug. When Jack pet Wintson’s arm the gorilla got the message and let go. Jack picked up the grocery tote he and Gabriel had filled with small presents, many of them knitted by Jack.

“It’s just so nice to have everyone here! Oh, more cookies! There’s a cookie table over there! There’s the present table! Guys, hey, Jack and Gabe are here!” Winston called and waved to the others.

The two took their coats off and tossed them on a table with the others, noting both old and new coats present. Jack kept his holiday sweater on, still a little chilly.

Gabriel was wearing the sweater Jack had knit for him that year, made from chunky black yarn with cabled snowflakes and a skull wearing a Santa hat. A little bat, clinging to ivy, rested on the kangaroo pocket.

“I love your sweaters,” Ana said. She was wearing one herself, embroidered with a sphinx wearing a Santa hat. “It’s horrible, Jack, I love it,” she said and pulled him down by his shoulder to kiss his cheek. “How many did you make?”

“Well, Gabe was gone for a while so I had to do something to occupy myself,” he said with a soft chuckle. They waded through Lindholm children of all ages to put the cookies down on the table. Along the way they passed by Jesse McCree, wearing a large Santa cap over his usual cowboy hat.

He was also wearing a new serape, knit from soft wool, and he made sure to drag someone with him. “This here’s Hanzo, Genji’s older brother!” he said, face a little red. “There here’s Gabriel Reyes, and Morrison.”

“Thank you for watching after my brother,” Hanzo said softly, and gave a short bow. “He was in good hands.”

After a few more moments of small talk, Angela breezed over and tugged on Jack’s arm. “Oh, there you are, excuse me, I need to talk to Jack for a moment!” She hauled him away and back over to the cookie table. “You looked like you needed an out!”

“Was I that obvious?” he asked as he put down the large platter he and Gabriel had baked. They had found the cookie press and spent most of the afternoon talking and making old fashioned sugar cookies. “I’m just not up for so much dumped on me so soon. Maybe after I’ve known him a few weeks I’ll be ready.”

Angela gently hugged his arm. “Take your time. We know Gabriel can get you re-socialized.”

Genji walked by, rooted through a small Halloween candy bucket on his arm, pulled out a red slap bracelet, and took Jack by the wrist. He slapped it on Morrison’s wrist, then a pink one onto Angela’s wrist. 

Jack looked down at the band. “Nervous?” he asked, and looked up at Genji.

“Some people are a little jumpy. If Reinhardt sees a red band, he’ll be quieter. He’s been in a huggy mood, and he knows not everyone appreciates his brand of friendship.” 

Angela blinked at the ‘Friendly/Social’ slap bracelet the ninja had given her, then at the ‘Nervous’ one on Jack’s wrist. “That’s really nice of you,” she said, and Jack was sure he was blushing under his scarf.

Genji then moved to the next group and was slapping ‘Friendly/Social’ on McCree and Gabriels' wrists, and a special handwritten ‘Two Steps Above Feral’ on Hanzo. “You can’t see me, I’m a ninja,” he said and slapped a ‘Nervous’ on Zarya and moved on.

“I am not nervous,” she demanded and started to follow him. “Genji! I am not nervous!”

“Mei,” he said, and Zarya blustered a little. “See? Nervous. Hey, where’s Lena, I got a special one for her!”

Gabriel wandered over to Jack and slung their elbows together. “We need to be careful. Rein’s got mistletoe in his beard.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Jack asked and handed Gabriel a cookie shaped like a wreath.

“NOW KISS!” a massive voice boomed, and they looked over to see him looming over Fareeha and Angela, arms pushing them together playfully. The ladies laughed and pulled closer.

“Point taken,” Jack said with a note, and wandered over to Sojourn. She was wearing a red ‘Dangerous/Bite’ bracelet, and Echo had a pink one in binary.

“I see the ninja found you,” Sojourn said and lifted her glass, showing her band. She handed her glass to Echo so she could hug the two of them briefly. “I’m glad you’re back among the living. If you ever pull a stunt like that again, though,” she said and let her voice trail off.

“You’ll kill us for real?” Gabriel suggested.

“I’ll feel cold and betrayed and you’ll have to deal with my sad face. You don’t want to see my sad face, do you?” she threatened.

“It’s a very good sad face! It can make Lena sad,” Echo said brightly. “You know that is almost impossible!” She pretended to take a drink, then handed Sojourn her drink back.

“Liao is finally here!” Winston boomed from the entrance. “That’s everyone! Gift exchange! Gifts!”

“C’mon, let’s get this over with,” Sojourn said in a knowing voice. They all knew Jack was shyer these days.

They moved at the outside for the crowd, watching Winston lift boxes high and read the tags, then give them to a Santa Claus-garbed Torbjörn to hand out. 

“That’s Emily’s sister and her son,” Sojourn said, updating Jack and Gabriel on unfamiliar faces. “Liao’s cousin Ruby, and her date. The other kids are the Mercer kids, they’re friends of Jesse.”

Sojourn moved slowly away to talk to someone on their left, and suddenly Jack and Gabriel were surrounded by powerful arms.

“Now kiss,” Reinhardt said softly with a grin, and shook his beard so the little bells jingled.

“Got us!” Gabriel laughed, and pulled Jack into his arms.

“Maybe one,” Jack grumbled softly, and pulled Gabriel closer.

“Got one for Jack!” Winston’s voice suddenly rang out, and all eyes were on them.

Jack buried his head under Gabriel’s chin before letting go and walking up to Santa Torb. 

“And here you go, young man,” Torbjörn said, and Jack took the gift bag.

“Thanks.” He set it on the arm of the throne and pulled out the top tissue, then grinned at the gift. He held up the knitting needle set, a rather pricey one, and someone clapped his shoulder.

“I got tired of seeing you use those old bamboo needles,” Ana said and poked his shoulder.

“What, they’re still good! They still work!” Jack wasn’t sure why he felt like defending the cheap little things, but they had served him well. “I made all your sweaters with that set. Hey, Ana, open yours.”

Once the attention was off of him and back on someone else he relaxed a little. He settled back into Gabriel’s side, and let him kiss his temple. 

“I got you something small,” Jack said and held out a small box.

Inside were cuff links, perfectly tiny little silver owls with citrine eyes.

“Oh, they’re perfect!” Gabriel said in awe. He swapped his current cuff links with them.

“Since you like dressing all fancy-smancy,” Jack explained.

Gabriel pulled out his phone and brought up a page. “Yours isn’t here, it’s back at the apartment. I didn’t feel like hauling it all over the countryside.”

Jack took the phone, pulled his reading glasses out, and examined the page. “What am I looking at,” he muttered, and Gabriel pointed.

“Got you that vintage headlight frame for your bike.” 

For the last five years Jack had been restoring a 2035 Harley touring model, a Road King, and several parts had eluded him. “Oh, Gabe, it’s perfect.”

A loud cheer rose up as Genji accepted his present, and Jack winced a little.

“Hey, it’s noisy here, isn’t it?” Gabriel asked quietly, and Jack nodded. Gabriel squeezed his elbow, and Jack followed him through the room to the hall. As they left the room Gabriel grabbed a smooshy blanket from the random gift pile. 

There, at the end, was a small reading nook wedged under the stairs. 

Jack pulled out his tablet on the end table and set it up, and pulled the remote control from the case. It was tiny and he kept losing it, but he resolved to keep track of it this time.

Gabriel pushed Jack onto the little sofa, and then draped both himself and the blanket over him. 

The pair settled, and Jack thumbed the little remote. “Let’s see what all movies are on the server,” he muttered, and cycled through the meager list.

“Oh, ‘A Haunting of Hill House,’ let’s watch that one!” Gabriel suggested. “It’s a remake of an old Vincent Price movie, made in 206...6? 67? Starring Kendra Marisol. Come on, scary movie,” he said, and started chanting ‘scary movie’ in Jack’s ear.

“Fine, fine,” Jack said after the fifth repeat. “Hang on, can’t see a thing.” He adjusted his glasses.

“Better?” Gabriel asked, and Jack looked over to him.

He grinned softly as Gabriel came into focus. “Yeah, much.” 

They settled for the movie.

  
  


“I found them- not so hard!” McCree snapped, and Hanzo removed his elbow from McCree’s side. “Oooooh, right,” McCree said in a quieter voice once he followed Hanzo’s gaze.

Jack and Gabriel were fast asleep, twined around each other. 

Hanzo carefully plucked Jack’s glasses, now askew, from his nose and set them on the table next to his tablet. 

The two slept on, unaware of everything but each other’s heart beat.

“Feliz Navidad, jefe,” McCree said softly as he and Hanzo returned to the party. They shut the door to keep the noise down.

“Merry Christmas, mi alma,” Gabriel hissed softly but Jack continued to sleep. Gabriel kissed what part of Jack’s face he could reach then returned to sleep himself.

All was quiet, and warm.


End file.
